Wilting Prince
by KuroTenshi01
Summary: "After Seigaku won the Nationals, Echizen Ryoma left for US. Now three years later, the former regulars, minus Ryoma, are shocked to find out that Ryoma returned to Japan without informing them, nor joining the tennis club. Why did Echizen return? Why didnt he join the tennis club? When they find out, will the regulars be able to rekindle his love for tennis?"
1. Ryoma is back?

**This is the fic I said I was going to upload when I wrote "I Missed You" I wanted to only upload this when I had it completed, but Uni is killing me right now, and I dont have almost any time to write, so i decided to upload this chapter now. I will try to update this till the end of next month, no promises tho.**

 **This is not beta-ed, and english is not my 1st language so please forgive the grammar errors and point them out so I can correct them :)**

 **Enjoy~.**

 **Summary:** _"After Seigaku won the Nationals, Echizen Ryoma left for US. Now three years later, the former regulars, minus Ryoma, are shocked to find out that Ryoma returned to Japan without informing them, nor joining the tennis club. Why did Echizen return? Why didnt he join the tennis club? When they find out, will the regulars be able to rekindle his love for tennis?"_

 **Characters/Pairings:** _Echizen Ryoma, Seigaku, Pillar Pair_ (Not much tho since this will be mostly Family!Seigaku focused)

* * *

 ** _"Ryoma is back?"_**

On the begining of Tezuka's 2nd year of high school Ryuuzaki Sumire, his former coach, called him to convince him that he and the others former Seigaku regulars, minus Echizen (Kawamura included, even if he wasn't playing tennis anymore), could benefit from learning sign language, or at the very least understand it.

When he asked why she only said that it could be useful in the long run and that in her opinion sign language was something that should be taught on schools, besides if they were to use sign language during a match against other schools in doubles it could be a way to communicate without alerting their opponents to what they were doing.

Kind of seeing her point Tezuka agreeded and in the following day he called his former team and they all agreed to meet at Kawamura Sushi.

After being told Oishi, Kikumaru and Kawamura accepted without problems nor further questioning, Inui and Fuji nodded once, the former writing something down on his notebook (probably the probability of using sign language on a conversation) while the later had a toughtful look on his face, meanwhile Momoshiro and Kaido where throwing insults at each other, Momo saying that there was no need to learn a language they would never use anyway and Kaido saying that since it was coach orders they should do it and shut up.

In the end they all accepted and started their lessons with, surprisingly, Ryuuzaki Sumire as their teacher. When asked where she had learned it she only said that it was a useful skill to have, specially for a teacher.

Now, a year later, all of them could, on some level, use sign language. Tezuka, Fuji, Oishi and Inui where capable of understanding and communicating via signs, Eiji and Kawamura understood the language, but had not the same capability of using the hand signs, while Momoshiro and Kaido understood most of the hand signs, and knew only how to do the more basic ones.

(During one of the practice matches Fuji organized last year - in which they played against one of their former opponents on Nationals - against Hyotei, Eiji had the idea of testing their new language skill by communicating the entire time using hand signs. Tezuka had to admit all of the former Hyotei player's face was priceless when, instead of talking, all of them used signs. Momoshiro and Kaido had the time of their life confusing both Gakuto and Hyoshi.)

No one had thought that it would be necessary to use that skill to anything other than communicating on the courts and confusing their opponents, at least not until a year later, on Tezuka, Fuji, Inui, Oishi, Kikumaru and Kawamura's 3rd year and Momoshiro and Kaido's 2nd year on high school.

* * *

The first one to see Echizen on school was Kawamura and only three weeks after the beginning of the school year.

Kawamura was in front of the school gates waiting for Fuji, who was going to help him do his math homework, when he saw his former coach aproaching him.

"Ryuusaki-sensei, its rare to see you here" Kawamura said once she was next to him.

"I came to pick up someone" she told him while leaning on the gate.

"Who?" the former player asked and then, realizing how impolite he sounded talking to a teacher, added "If I may ask."

"There is no need to be so polite, I'm no longer your teacher." she informed him with a smile "I came to pick up Ryoma"

That surprised Kawamura, the old woman had said it as if it was someone he knew, and the only Ryoma he knew of was in America not in Japan and certainly not frequenting the same high school as him. Besides if Echizen was there the others would have told him already and they would have had a welcome back party at his father's shop. He either heard wrong or Ryuusaki was talking about a different Ryoma and it was not a very uncommon name.

"Oh, here he is!" His former coach said while waving at someone behind him.

He turned around to see who it was and there, standing in front of him, was none other that Seigaku's former cocky freshman and pillar of support, Echizen Ryoma.

After the initial shock of seeing the boy had passed, a big smile formed on his face "Echizen, I didn't knew you came back! How was it in America?"

Instead of answering however, Echizen only nodded once at him before turning to look expectantly at their coach, Kawamura heard her sigh behind him before a hand was on his shoulder and he turned to see Ryuusaki frowning at the 1st year before she talked to him.

"I'm sorry Kawamura but we have to leave now, I will call Tezuka later."

(Behind Kawamura, Echizen's eyes widened after hearing Tezuka's name and he began shaking his head frantically, however Ryuusaki only gave him a stern glance, and the boy looked at the floor obviously displeased.)

"Sensei, whats going on?" Kawamura asked worriedly, his mind already coming up with possible reasons to why Echizen was acting so strange.

"You don't have to worry to much, Kawamura. See you later" She gave him a reassuring smile and then seeing that Echizen was already leaving, went after him.

Only after Echizen and Ryuusaki had left did Kawamura notice that the freshman didn't seem glad to have met him after 3 years in America.

'Does Echizen not want us to know he is back? Did he even join the tennis club at all? Surely if he had joined the others would have told me, but what reason would he have not to join?'

"Taka-san!"

He was brought back from his thoughts when someone called him, and he turned to see Fuji, Tezuka, Oishi, Inui, Eiji, Momo and Kaido walking towards him. Momo, who was the one that called him, waving cheerfully at him.

They were all in good moods, Kikumaru had an arm over Momo's shoulder and was talking to Oishi, who was smiling at his doubles partner, Kaido and Momo were in one of their fights the former insulting the later for yelling. Fuji and Inui seemed to be talking about the new juice the later was creating, even Tezuka wasn't looking as stern.

Kawamura wondered how they will react to know that Echizen was on Japan, frequenting the same school as them, and none of them had any knowledge of that. And that thought made him question again why didn't Echizen tell anyone that he was back? And why didn't he talk with him not even to greet him?

"Taka-san is something wrong?" Fuji asked and he realized he was frowning at the floor, when he looked he saw Fuji staring at him with his eyes opened, and he knew that he wouldn't get away with not telling. Its not like he was going to hide the fact that Echizen was back from them, they missed him too.

"No, nothing is wrong its just that" he took a deep breath and said "Echizen is back in Japan."

Silence fell on the group as all of them processed the information.

"What?! Ochibi is back?!" Eiji yelled and then started firing questions "When did he came back? why didn't he tell us? was he trying to surprise us? Where is he? How come you know and we don't?"

"Eiji! Calm down! One question at a time" Oishi said as he tried to calm his doubles partner "let Taka-san answer first"

All their gazes became once again fixed on him. He wondered if perhaps he should wait to mention that Echizen has been back at least since they started the school year.

"I saw him a few minutes ago. He left with Ryuusaki-sensei"

Tezuka's eyes narrowed while Fuji and Inui had a thoughtful look on their faces, they had obviously noticed him avoiding the first question.

"Taka-san do you know when he came back?" surprisingly it was Momo who asked, then again he was the closest to Echizen, and possibly the one who missed him the most. Kawamura remembered when the freshman left to America right before the Nationals, it had taken a few days for Momo to go back to his cheerful self. He sighed.

"Echizen has been frequenting our school ever since the term began."

This caused them to, once again, look at him in shock.

"what?" this time the first one to break then silence was Kaido "That brat as been here for so long and didn't even deign himself to tell us? Fsshu, he probably thinks he is too good for us after going to America."

"What the fuck are you saying Mamushi? Echizen isn't like that!" Momo said glaring at his rival, and followed by Eiji who turned to Kawamura.

"That's right! Ochibi isn't like that I'm sure he has and excuse, right Taka-san? What did he say?"

Kawamura hesitated, now that Eiji asked did he notice that Echizen was silent the entire time not speaking a single word not even to greet him, he only gave him a nod when he left. Maybe because they where in a hurry to go someplace.

"Actually, they seemed to be in a hurry so I only talked to Ryuusaki-sensei." Kawamura turned to Tezuka "She said that she would call you later, I think to explain whats going on."

As if on cue Tezuka's phone started to ring and he picked it up.

"Ryuuusaki-sensei, good afternoon." a pause then "Yes, Kawamura told me. He also informed me that you would contact me to explain whats going on." another pause, this time longer "Very well, we will see you tomorrow."

"Ne what did Ryuusaki-sensei say?" Eiji asked once Tezuka (tinha guardado) his phone.

"She told me that we should meet her at Seishun middle school tomorrow afternoon for her to talk to us" he informed them "Since tomorrow we don't have afternoon practice, we will meet here. Momoshiro, Kaido do you have anything you need to do after classes?"

"Buchou, we are still in the first weeks of school!" at Tezuka's stare Momo added sheepishly "Well I do need to finish a essay but its only for next week."

"Tche, you are saying as if you have started it."

"What was that Mamushi!"

"You heard it Momoshiri!"

"Do you wanna fight!"

Oishi hurried to put himself in front of the two, before they could start a fight "Calm down both of you."

"i'm sorry senpai." Momo and Kaido said while still glaring at each other.

"Momo if you need to do that essay maybe you shouldn't go with us, we tell you whats going on later." Fuji said with a smile, clearly teasing him.

"No way senpai! Its not that difficult a essay that needs to be started now!" Momo ignored Kaido's scoff "Besides it's about Echizen, we need to know what is going on and it's more important then homework!"

"I agree with Momo!" Eiji said cheerfully remembering the essay he was supposed to deliver before the end of the week, Fuji seemed to remember as well because he looked at him in amusement.

After that, Tezuka said he needed to be home early so he left along with Oishi and Eiji, Inui and Kaido went to do their extra training (something they do almost every day together ever since winning the Nationals), Momo said he needed to go grocery shopping, and Kawamura and Fuji went to the laters house.

After doing their homework (in the end Fuji helped him on all of his homework) Kawamura asked "Nee Fujiko, what do you think is wrong with Echizen?"

Fuji frowned before answering "I'm not sure, but whatever it is we will find out tomorrow."

* * *

 **End of 1st chapter, what did you think? Good, bad? tell me your opinions on the reviews~**

 **thanks for reading!**

 **Kisses :3**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: A Surprising person and a shocking revelation.**

The next day Tezuka made Momoshiro and Eiji run laps for being late because they had decided to go to Echizen's house to wait for him in order to go to school together.

"Did you see Echizen at his house?" Fuji asked as soon as both boys had joined them after finishing their laps. Momo shook his head in the negative with a frown on his face.

"No, actually it seems the Echizen family is no longer living in that house," Eiji informed them, he too with a frown on his face.

"So we have no clues then," Inui said before turning to Oishi "Are you sure Echizen did not sign up for the club? My data on him never indicated more than a 10% chance of Echizen stopping playing tennis and that's only the probability of him quitting if he suffered a career ending injury. It's completely illogical"

"I know, but he truly did not sign up," Oishi replied before looking at Tezuka, who was talking to their coach, no doubt about the upcoming ranking tournament, and looking again at the others said "When i arrived in the tennis club this morning, Tezuka was already there looking through the tennis club member files, he even asked coach if anyone had requested to join the club without being officially a member. But no luck."

 _'I've never seen Tezuka looking so frustrated before'_ the vice-captain thought looking once again at their captain and seeing the later staring at their clubroom, he too probably expecting the boy to show up with a crazy excuse for being late, which would result in their captain assigning him laps, and after he did them Momo would smack him in the head for not telling anyone he was back before ruffling his hair; Eiji would glomp him causing both to fall on the floor and Oishi himself would be frantically telling his partner to "please release Echizen, can't you see he is turning blue?"; Fuji would be just watching the whole scene with a small genuine smile on his face, before turning to the freshman and saying that they missed him; Kaido would just nod to the boy, but even he would have a little smile on his face while Inui would be writing on his notebook, and mumbling about how illogical it was that Echizen was still way to short and "maybe he will have to drink more than just 2 bottles of milk a day"; later after their afternoon practice ended they would all go to Kawamura's Sushi to celebrate the return of their 'baby'. And at the end of the day even Tezuka would be smiling, everyone happy to be together again, and excitedly talking about how they were going to win the Nationals-

"Oishi- ne Oishi! Are you listening?! OISHI!" Oishi was brought back to reality by Eiji shaking him to get his attention.

"What is it Eiji?" he said after turning back to the group.

"We are going to use the lunch break to go look for Echizen" Fuji informed at the same time as the acrobatic player asked "Why weren't you listening?"

"I'm sorry, guess i got lost in my thoughts a little" Oishi said sheepishly, "But how are we gonna do it? The school is big and we don't really have much time."

"I propose we divide and look for the most possible places he could be" Inui answered, "Momoshiro, do you remember where he usually went during lunch break in middle school?"

The second year thought for a while before answering "I guess he ate lunch in the cafeteria? and then went back to the classroom...or was it the library?"

Kaido snorted "If you don't know then just say it you dumb bastard"

"WHAT WAS THAT STUPID VIPER"

"YOU HEARD ME IDIOT PEACH"

"Hey, hey, calm down both of you" Oishi said while he put his hand on Kaido's shoulder and his partner stopped Momo from throwing himself at the other 2nd year.

"Very well then. Momo and Kaido will go search the 1st years classrooms, Inui will go to the cafetaria, Oishi and Eiji will look on the gym and the pool, Taka-san will look in the library while i search outside." Fuji informed. As expected Momoshiro and Kaido werent too keen on the idea and soon started fighting again.

"What about Tezuka?" Inui asked completely ignoring the fighting pair.

"Well I guess we will have to ask, that is if he is not too busy to look for Echizen." Fuji answered after sparring a glance at said Captain.

"What do you mean Fuji?" Eiji asked letting go of the struggling Momo to look at their genius, Oishi, who had been holding an equally struggling Kaido, also let go of the second year to pay attention, which resulted in both second years to bump into one another and falling to the floor which was ignored.

"Tezuka, besides being our captain, is also the president of the student council, and you know he is usually busy on lunch break." the genius explained.

"But its Ochibi!" Eiji exclaimed "Do you really think buchou will not care to look for him?"

"I'm not saying that Tezuka doesn't care" Fuji said "It's just that Echizen has been avoiding us, and the right thing to do is probably to leave him alone, at least till we know what's going on with him, and we will find out today, and maybe Echizen will be there as well."

"Very unlikely Fuji." Inui informed "The probability of Echizen showing up to the meet up with Ryuusaki-sensei is less than 14,67%"

No one noticed Tezuka had finished talking to the coach and was now walking in their direction.

"Then I will ask Tezuka!" Oishi offered.

"As me what? And why are you all stopped here without practicing?"

Tezukas voice from behind Eiji startled the acrobatic player, which made him bump into Momo, that had just picked himself from the floor, resulting in the second year losing his footing and fall forward and almost into Kaido if the later hadn't taken a step to the left which made Momo fall face first into the floor.

(Which was ignored, again)

"We are going to look for Echizen through the school during lunch break." Fuji explained "You want to help?"

"I can't. Now back to practice or I will make you run 20 laps." Tezuka said before turning to Momo who was still on the floor "And Momoshiro 10 laps, this is no place to be asleep!"

Momoshiro got up mumbling something under his breath but one look at his captain face and he turned to go run his laps. Tezuka looked pissed, he didn't want to have to run more laps.

The others seemed to see the same thing he did while looking at Tezuka that they didn't question further and went back to practice.

* * *

And so lunch break came and they began their search for their missing freshman.

Momoshiro and Kaido both went over to the 1st years classrooms, avoiding the freshman trio's one, thinking that Echizen couldn't possibly be in that class cause otherwise the entire school would have known the moment Echizen stepped foot in class, what with Horio and that fangirl of Echizen's, Osakada, in the same class.

"Hmm, excuse me, but is there a Echizen Ryoma in this class?" The second years went around each classroom, receiving negative answers from their underclass mates, until they finally got a positive answer.

"Echizen-kun? He leaves during lunch break and only comes back 5 minutes after class started." A girl with blonde hair in a ponytail replied with a polite smile "It would probably be better to look for him in the rooftop, that's were he usually goes."

Momoshiro had to stop himself from face palming, how could he forget that the rooftop was where the boy usually went whenever he didn't have classes? How many times had he found the boy there usually sleeping?

"Thank you!" He shouted at the girl before running off.

He ran down the halls and up the staircase leading to the rooftop and was about to open the door, when it opened and Tezuka stepped out.

"Ah! Captain!" Momoshiron exclaimed not having expected to bump into the older boy, after all he had said we wasn't going to look for their freshman, he looked at the door Tezuka had closed. "Is Echizen-"

"No." Tezuka cut him off before he could fully ask "Class start in 10 minutes, I would advise you to head over to your classroom if you do not want to be late." He leveled the 2 year with hard stare and added "Again."

Momo gulped and gave a small forced laugh before bowing and running down the stairs again, Tezuka's face said that if he didn't go back to class right that moment he would be running laps around the school building.

And so he failed to see the glance his captain gave the door leading to the rooftop or the small, almost inexistent smile on his face, before he too headed to his own class.

* * *

Because of a doctor appointment, Oishi and Tezuka's teacher decided to finish class 30mins early, however since the later had something to do related to the Student Council, Oishi was the only one at the school gates, and so he was the only one that saw Echizen when the boy left 10 minutes before the ring announcing the end of the day's class sounded.

And the only one who saw the person that went to pick the freshman up.

To say he was shocked would be an understatement.

He had been checking his e-mail on his phone, waiting for the others, when he registered movement coming from the school building, thinking it was Tezuka that had finished whatever he had been doing, he looked up and, instead of his captain, saw Echizen, hands in his pockets and head down, walking towards the gates.

"Echizen!" Oishi called out, a grin on his face, running towards the boy, who looked up with wide eyes, surprise clear on his face.

"How have you been?" Oishi asked when he got closer to the boy. He noticed with amusement that, while Echizen had obviously grown in the three years he had been away, it was still not enough and he still on the short side, probably about Fuji's height.

However, his smile and amusement disapeared when, instead of answering him, Echizen only nodded once before trying to walk out of the gates but Oishi stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"Is something wrong?" the vice-captain asked worry evident on his features, he felt the boy tense but he didn't try to leave again, though he also didn't answer opting instead to look out of the gates as if waiting for something, or someone.

After a moment, in which Echizen refused to look at Oishi or speak to him, the vice-captain let his hand drop from the boy's shoulder dejectedly and only then did he notice the fact that Echizen was wearing a scarf around his neck.

 _'That's odd'_ Oishi thought with a frown _'It's been quite warm lately, why would Echizen need a scarf?'_ He was about to ask when the boy, to Oishi's confusion, turned and tried to go back to the school building, not that he went far, when both heard a surprisingly familiar voice from behind.

'Ryoma! Why are you running away? Did I not tell you your father asked me to come pick you up?' Atobe Keigo said while approaching them 'Really, do you have to do it every time I come? it's getting childish.'

Oishi could only stare. What was Hyoutei's captain doing all the way in Seigaku? ' _And did he just call Echizen, Ryoma? Since when did he call him by his first name?_ '

Atobe, to Oishi's increasingly shock and confusion, ruffled Echizen's hair fondly and, when the boy pushed his hand away with a scowl, only smiled before turning to the Seigaku player.

"Good to see you Oishi, are you done from practice today?" Atobe asked politely, as if he hadn't just treated Echizen Ryoma, the boy that was his rival and he used to insult in every opportunity he had, like he was his little brother.

"No, today we didn't have any afternoon practice." Oishi answered still staring at Atobe like he had grown two heads "I'm just waiting for the others to go meet up with Ryuusaki-sensei."

Next to Atobe, Echizen tensed.

"And what are you doing here Atobe-san?" Oishi asked, not having noticed the way Echizen tensed when he told them about meeting their former coach.

"I came to fetch this brat here." The captain explained patting Echizen on the head, which resulted in a jab to his ribs by the shorter boy that he didn't seem to notice since he had his gaze fixed somewhere over Oishi's shoulder.

Oishi was about to turn away and see what Atobe was looking at, when the Hyoutei captain turned to him again.

"In fact we are starting to run a little late, and should hurry." Atobe gave him a nod before turning to the boy next to him and giving him a friendly pat to his shoulder before walking to the car parked in front of the school "Let's go, Ryoma."

Echizen nodded before turning to Oishi and giving him a small bow as goodbye before trying to leave as well.

"Echizen!" Oishi's hand on his shoulder stopped him and made him turn around to face the vice-captain, behind him Atobe had stopped next to the open car and was now observing them with an unreadable expression on his face. " Are you free tomorrow? The others want to meet you too, you know. We all missed you."

Echizen didn't reply, just stared at him and for a small moment his expression wasn't guarded nor expressionless and what Oishi saw made him release his hold on the boy, who bowed to him once more before turning around and leaving.

Oishi could only stare as the boy got in the car followed by Atobe, who gave him a last glance and seemed to be opening his mouth to say something before he sighed and looking somewhere to Oishi's left, gave a small nod before he too got in the car, as soon as the door closed the car left.

"What was Atobe doing here?" a voice to his left said, startling him, and he turned to find Tezuka.

"Tezuka!" the Seigaku captain nodded before repeating the question. "Ah! He came to ...ah...pick up Echizen."

"So that person I saw entering the car was really him." Tezuka murmured before asking "Still why was Atobe, of all people, here to pick him up?"

"I... I don't know... it seemed like they had somewhere to be? And also something about Echizen's father asking him to come?" Oishi was honestly confused, the last time he had seen both of them together Echizen had chopped Atobe's hair off after winning against him, and they had traded insults throughout the entire match. Granted they hadn't seen them together in three years, but they couldn't have met before right? After all, Echizen had been in America the entire time.

And even if they had somehow become friends, close friends since Atobe called Echizen by his first name, why would he come all the way to pick him up?

 _Maybe he came pick him up because they promised to hang out?'_ Oishi thought, though that would not explain why Echizen's father would ask the Hyoutei captain to pick his son up from school. _'Echizen's father never came to pick him up before though, and he was three years younger than now, he usually went home alone or with Momoshiro on the latter's bike'_

"Ne, Tezuka" Oishi turned to his best friend "Do you think that Atobe coming here has something to do with what Ryuusaki-sensei is going to tell us?"

"Hm, i don't know, but it is quite possible" Tezuka replied.

"Then Atobe knows?" Oishi wondered out loud "Did Echizen and him somehow become such close friends over those years he has been away that he would rather tell Atobe about what's been going on with him and not us? Does he trust him more than us, his former teammates?"

Tezuka opened his mouth to say something but Oishi interrupted him "No, that's not it." the vice-captain continued "That wouldnt explain the look he gave me before getting in the car."

"What look?" Tezuka asked bringing Oishi back from his thoughts.

"Uh?" Oishi looked at him confused, before he understood "Oh, before getting in the car he looked back at me, and for a moment he looked sad and defeated. It's the first time I ever saw that look on his face before. I'm worried Tezuka, I have this feeling that something very bad happened to him. Do you think I'm just exaggerating?"

Tezuka sighed before replying "No, I don't think you are exaggerating, I have the same feeling, as I'm sure the others do as well."

Oishi sighed and they stayed in silence each lost in their own thoughts of their former teammate.

The silence was broken by the ring of a phone, Tezuka's phone who picked it up to see who was calling before looking at his vice-captain "It's Atobe" he informed with a frown.

"Put on speaker." Oishi requested and his captain nodded before picking up.

"Yes"

" _Ah Tezuka, it's me Atobe_ " the Hyoutei captain said, he didn't seem to be alone since they could hear voices in the background. Oishi brought his ear closer to the phone Tezuka was holding in front of him, trying to distinguish the voices, but none sounded familiar.

"Hello, Atobe. How can i help you?" Tezuka asked politely.

" _I think it's more like how can I help you, isn't it?_ " Oishi frowned, the words seemed mocking, but he couldn't hear any sign of amusement on Atobe's voice. Oishi looked at Tezuka and saw he was frowning as well.

The Seigaku captain sighed before asking again "Why did you call? Is it about Echizen?"

" _Yes and No. I heard from your vice-captain that you and your team are going to meet your former coach._ " Atobe replied.

"That is true. Are you maybe calling because you know what Ryuusaki-sensei is going to tell us?" Tezuka inquired his frown increasing, Oishi's too. Even though he did not sound amused, the other captain could very well have called simply because he wanted to brag about the fact that he knew more about something related to their former teammate then they did.

" _In a way. I am, after all, one one of the very few who know what is going on with Echizen._ " Oishi heard a gasp from behind him and turned to see Fuji and Eiji, the former had his hand on the latter's mouth who was staring at the phone on Tezuka wide-eyed. Fuji was also staring with his eyes opened for once opened. Oishi raised a finger to his lips to silence his partner, who was trying to struggle free of Fuji's hold, the acrobatic player stopped and nodded, and the smaller boy released him.

"Yes, I've come to that conclusion myself." Tezuka said voice calm and controlled. Oishi turned attention once again on the conversation between the two captains. He had to admire Tezukas' control, not showing any sign that the conversation was affecting him in any way. Oishi looked at the captains' hands and decided to revise his first thought.

Tezuka was not showing through his voice any signs that the conversation was having any effect on him. The hand not holding the phone though betrayed that, being clenched in a fist so tight his knuckles had turned white.

 _"I'm calling to invite you to meet me after your talk with your former coach."_ Atobe finally informed _"There is something I need to tell you."_ A pause, _"actually more like an advice."_

 _"Very well, after the meeting with Ryuusaki-sensei I will call you to confirm the place. Goodbye." Tezuka informed before hanging up_

For a moment they were silent before Fuji spoke.

"Hm, that was interesting. I wonder, why would Atobe know about what's going on with Echizen?"

"Maybe Echizen told him." Oishi replied "I mean, it's been 3 years since we last met him, it could be that in those 3 years, somehow they got in contact with each other and became close friends."

"Somehow I don't think that it's that simple." Tezuka interjected.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't doubt that Atobe and Echizen grew closer during the last few years, it would explain the use of first name on Atobe's part." Tezuka explained "But I don't really think that Echizen told him anything. It's more likely that Atobe found out on his own." He paused looking out of the school gate before continuing "Echizen is not the type of person to tell someone else what is going on with him. He does not like asking for help."

"That is true, that boy is too independent for his own good" Oishi said with a small smile.

"Who's too independent for his own good?" A voice asked behind them and they all turned to see that the rest of the regulars had already arrived.

"Echizen obviously!" Eiji replied "That boy must think asking for help will kill him or something. Seriously, when we were in middle school he wouldn't ask for help on anything, except that one time when he was looking for Karupin, and even then he didn't ask us to help him." He paused then added "And that moment in the National Finals does not count. He was amnesiac at the time."

Momoshiro snorted in agreement while Kaido turned to Tezuka and Oishi "Ishida called to informed that he will be coming tomorrow."

"That's good" Oishi said with a smile while Tezuka only nodded before turning to all of them.

"Now that everyone is here let's go" Everyone nodded before starting to walk out of the school and to Seishun Middle School to meet with their former coach and find out what their little freshman prodigy was hiding.

Eiji, Momoshiro, Kaido, Kawamura and Inui were walking animatedly talking between each other while Fuji, Tezuka and Oishi walked side by side a few paces behind them.

"Oishi, I forgot to ask before but did Echizen say anything to you when you met him?" Fuji asked quietly so only Tezuka and Oishi heard.

"Now that you mention, no he didn't." Oishi replied with a frown "I got distracted when Atobe showed up and completely forgot, but when I greeted him he only gave me a nod and stayed quiet the entire time completely refusing to look at me."

"Strange" Fuji said after a moment "that's not like him at all. He has never been the most respectful guy but he never ignored any of his us before." He brought his hand to his chin "I feel like we are forgetting something"

It was then that Eiji exclaimed loudly enough for them to hear "AH! Remember our last practice match with Hyoutei? Mukahis' face trying to understand the hand signals was absolutely priceless!"

Tezuka and Fuji both stopped in their tracks eyes wide in shock when the final piece clicked, Oishi also stopped and looked at them in surprise before he too understood his eyes widening in shock and horror.

"It can't be!" Oishi exclaimed.

"It would explain why Ryuusaki-sensei decided to teach us sign language." Fuji said with a grim expression. "I should have known something was wrong when she suggested it out of nowhere."

Oishi was about to say something when the group ahead noticed they had stopped and where now walking towards them.

"Is something wrong?" Kawamura asked when he saw the expression on their faces, Tezuka with a troubled frown, Fuji looking grim and Oishi shocked and worried.

The trio looked at each other before Fuji, smile back in place and eyes closed, replied "It's nothing Taka-san"

The former power player did not look convinced and from the looks on the others faces they didn't either. However, before they could ask any further Tezuka started walking again followed by Fuji and Oishi, neither saying another word, and the others reluctantly followed.

Tezuka, Oishi and Fuji shared one last glance, having decided to not tell the others what they found out, neither wanting to ruin their teammates good mood by telling them something that they hoped was not true.

That Echizen had, somehow, become mute.

* * *

 **First of all, I'm so sorry for the huge delay, but I reached a writers block and then had real life problems to deal along with University being my doom, but it is finally here and this time its a +4k worded chapter so I hope it makes up for the delay. I will try to not take so long to update again, at most just in a few months the next chapter should be up since I already started writing it.**

 **I tried to not involve Atobe in the fic, it was supposed to be only about Seigaku with other teams making very small appearances, but somehow that happened... The King refused to be a simple side character i guess ^^'**

 **Also english is not my main language so if you see any mistakes please tell me so I can correct them.**

 **Hope you enjoyed it and please leave a review on your way out :3**

 **~Dani~**


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